Helping others with our

Services

Community Meals

We serve free hot lunches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 12 to 1 p.m. to anyone in need of a nutritious meal. We also provide free coffee and pastries Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. These meals are served at our Outreach Center at 444 Glen Arvin Ave. Our volunteers make and deliver sack breakfasts and lunches to day labor workers at Labor Works twice a week. In addition to the vegetables we grow in our community garden, we accept donations of fruits and vegetables to give to the public. We also give away donations of bread and pastries to our guests. For more information about our community meals, please contact Becky Connell, Support Services Coordinator.

Meeting Basic Needs

Walk-In Hours

Our resource coordinator is available to meet with anyone in need during our walk-in hours. She assists people with housing issues, helps people apply for government benefits, and connects people to community resources, including providing clothing vouchers to Goodwill, referrals to Faith Pharmacy, and setting up appointments for God’s Pantry. We also keep basic supplies on-hand for guests, including hygiene products, hats, gloves, coats, socks, underwear, backpacks, sleeping bags, blankets, tents, and household supplies.

Walk-in hours are 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday at our Outreach Center at 444 Glen Arvin Ave. We also hold walk-in hours at our Neighborhood Center at Embrace Church, 1015 N. Limestone, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Mondays. For more information, please contact Renee Dodson, Resource Coordinator, at (859) 381-9600, ext. 237. You may also download a card with our walk-in hours here and share it with anyone in need of assistance.

laundry ministry

Homeless guests who do not have access to laundry services because they are not living at a shelter are welcome to have their clothes washed and dried at our Outreach Center. Laundry service is available three days a week, and guests may sign-up for this service at our walk-in hours.

Housing Assistance

homeless intervention program

The Mission helps individuals and families who are homeless move into their own home by providing financial assistance for the first month’s rent as well as individual budget counseling, resource referral, and case management. If you need help moving from homelessness into permanent housing, please come to our walk-in hours for eligibility screening and assistance. For more information, please contact Amber Bruner, our AmeriCorps Housing Counselor, at (859) 381-9600, ext. 231.

Employment Support

Jobs for life

The Mission helps prepare job-seekers to find lasting employment through Jobs for Life, a Biblical job training program that teaches the skills that will help people succeed in any workplace. Jobs for Life classes are held at our facility at 629 North Broadway and are free and open to the public. We also conduct classes in local jails, prisons, halfway houses, and recovery programs. To apply for Jobs for Life, download an application today. For more information, please contact Lee Hunter, Director of Employment Services, at (859) 618-6830.

advance lexington

Job-seekers can find help obtaining employment through our job placement service, Advance Lexington. We partner with local businesses who hire workers on a temporary basis through our staffing service as well as on a permanent basis. Our staff conducts initial employment assessments to help clients identify potential employers, and program participants receive help with their job search, including assistance with creating resumes and cover letters, filling out online job applications, obtaining IDs, procuring interview attire and work clothing, getting bus passes, and other needs. For more information, please contact Stephanie Linseisen, Advance Lexington Coordinator, at (859) 618-6831.

Transitional Housing

The potter’s house

Lexington Rescue Mission provides sober living at The Potter’s House for men who are trying to get back on their feet. The Potter’s House is geared toward men who have achieved at least 30 days of sobriety, who have participated in a recovery program and need a safe place where they can practice those principles, be held accountable and learn how to live a sober, healthy life. We provide case management and pastoral counseling, and residents are required to participate in Jobs for Life, which trains them to find and maintain meaningful employment, and other life-skill classes. If you are interested in becoming a resident in our transitional home, you may download an application here. Please contact Andrew Baker, Director of Restorative Services, at (859) 554-6939 for more information.

Ex-Offender Re-Entry

inside

Our Breaking Chains program provides training and support to assist incarcerated men and women in making a smooth transition back into the community. We offer classes to those who are currently incarcerated at the Fayette County Detention Center, Jessamine County Detention Center, Woodford County Detention Center, Northpoint Training Center, and Blackburn Correctional Complex. Our classes are The Genesis Process and Jobs for Life. The Genesis Process addresses a fundamental struggle in life: the struggle to change. The process identifies the fears that drive self-destructive behaviors and emotions and helps resolve them so you can find true and lasting freedom. Jobs for Life helps men and women develop the job skills and character qualities that prepare them for success on the job upon their release.

outside

When program participants are released, our case manager meets with them to help them develop a plan for transition back into the community and provides accountability and support to help them achieve their goals. We also provide assistance with practical needs — obtaining birth certificates and IDs, transportation, clothing, housing, employment, and other necessities. Our volunteer mentors walk alongside program participants, offering their wisdom, guidance, and support. To apply for the program, please download an applicationhere. For more information, please contact Julius Johnson, Director of Re-Entry Services.

family support

Families who have a loved one who is currently or formerly incarcerated can find support at Bluegrass Families of the Incarcerated. We meet on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at American National University. We share resources, learn about the justice system, and help each other through the challenges of re-entry. We welcome all families who are seeking a place of love, support, and encouragement as they deal with having a member of their family in prison. For more information, please contact Julius Johnson, Director of Re-Entry Services.

Spiritual Care

Chapel services are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. for anyone seeking God. The Mission also offers a weekly discipleship group called Steady Hands, which meets on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Steady Hands includes dinner, worship, teaching, group discussion, and dessert. For more information about chapel or Steady Hands, please contact Thomas Wallace at (859) 381-9600, ext. 232. Pastoral counseling is also available to anyone in need. To schedule an appointment, contact Donna Junker at (859) 381-9600, ext. 235.